Planter



(No Model.)l 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. CHARLES.

PLANTER.

No. 403,516. Patented May 21, 1889.

N. PEzns. Pnoxmumngmpher, washmgmn, n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. CHARLES. PLANTER.

No. 403,516. PatentedMay 21, 1889..

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. CHARLES.

PLANTER. No. 403,516. Patented May 21, 1889.

Illllllllllllll Il lllill Witnesses, 5mm/woz N. PETERS.A Pmwmhugmpher.wuhi nnnnnnnn c.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFEICE..

ALBERT CHARLES, or BLUE MoUND, KANSAS.

PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,516, dated May 21,1889.

Application filed January 26, 1889. Serial No. 297,643. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT CHARLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Blue Mound, in the county of Linn and State of Kansas, haveinvented new and useful Improvementsin Planters, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in planters; and it consists incertain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of aplanterprovided with myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is across-sectional view looking toward the front. Fig. 4 is a side viewwith the near spike-wheel removed. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of thedriving-gearing. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of one of the spike-wheels toshow the pawls for engaging the ratchet-wheels. Figs. 7 and 8 are detailviews showing portions of the seed-slide-operating devices.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the main frame of theplanter, having the furrow-openers B at its front end and the axle C atits rear end, on which the carryingwheels D are mounted. The seed-boxesE are mounted on the frame near the front end of the same and over therear ends of the furrow-openers. The seed-boxes are connected by adivided cross-bar or brace, F, which is secured to the seed-boxes bymeans of the brackets G, having their front ends secured to the saidcross-bar or brace and provided with longitudinal slots Il, throughwhich securing-screws are passed into the seedboXes, so that the saidbrace or cross-bar can be ad justed to or away from the front end of theframe in order to tighten the chain, hereinafter referred to. Themembers or sections of the divided cross-bar or brace are joined by anarched bar or brace, I, and at the ends of this divided cross-bar Isecure the forwardlyprojecting' arms J, to the ends of which I pivot thefront ends of the bars K, the rear ends of which are provided withbearings L, in which the transverse shaft M is journaled. Thistransverse shaft is provided at about its center with a sprocket-wheel,N, connected by a chain, O, with a small sprocket-pinion, P, secured ona short shaft, Q, journaled in and between the inner ends of thesections of the divided cross-bar. The operating-wheel R is rigidlysecured on the shaft Q and rotated thereby, and a guard or fender, S, issecured to the cross-bar and extends across the central space thereof,so as to protect the front sides of the operating-wheel and thesprocketpinion. The operating-wheel is provided at regular intervalsaround its periphery with the radial pins or arms T, which are adaptedto contact with and actuate the operatin g arms or levers.

The operating` arms or levers U are pivoted between the dividedcross-bar and angle arms or brackets V, secured to the rear side of thesame, and consist of the horizontal inwardlyprojecting arms W and thevertical arms X, depending from the horizontal arms. The lower ends ofthe vertical arms of the operating-levers are connected by a link, Y, sothat the said levers are caused to move in unison. One of theseoperating-levers is connected by a connecting-rod, Z, with the lower endof an oscillating lever, a, which is pivoted at its upper end to thearched brace I, and has its lower end connected by a pitman, b, with theseed-slide c. The adjustability of the brackets G enables me to bringthis lever a into proper position to be pivoted to the seed-slide.

On the shaft M, near the ends of the same, I secure the ratchet-wheelsd, one of which is provided on its inner face with the crownwheel e, asshown. 'lhe spike-wheels f are loosely mounted on the shaft M beyond theratchet-wheels, and are provided on their inner sides with hollowcylindrical casings fitting over the ratchet-wheels and inclosing aseries of pawls, g, which engage the ratchetwheels, and are held inengagement therewith by the springs h, which are coiled around thepivots of the pawls and have one end bearing thereon,while the otherends are made to engage one of a series of sockets or recesses, fl', inthe casing.

Upon the shaft M, near one end of the same, I secure the boxing orbracket j, to which is secured the front end of a horizontallongitudinal frame, It', the rear end of which is provided with aU-shaped extension, between the ends of which a short shaft, Z, is journaled. The rear spike-wheel, m, is mounted loosely on the said shaft,and is provided with a cylindrical casing, u, carrying a series of pawlsadapted to engage a ratchet-wheel, 0, secured IOO rigidly on the saidshaft and provided on on'ef side with a crown-wheel, p, as shown. Thesaid crown-wheel meshes with the gear-wheel q on the rear end of alongitudinal shaft, o", which extends forward through the frame 7c, andis provided at its front end with the gearwheel s, engaging thecrown-wheel e.

In order that the operating mechanism may be lifted, so as to clear theground when it is desired to move the machine from one `ield to another,I provide the levers 2 3, which are fulcrumed at the front and rearends, respectively, of a plate, 4c, secured on the main frame, and areprovided with the latches 5. The levers are L- shaped, and the lower armof the rear lever is connected with the rear portion of the frame 7o bymeans of a chain, 6. The lower arm of the front lever, 2, is provided atits front end with a cross-bar, 7, the ends of which are connected bychains 8 with the bars K, carrying the front spike-wheels.

When it is desired to use the machine, short marking-chains 9 aresecuredat one side of the field and wrapped around the wheels, as shown in Fig.l. As the machine is drawn over the field, the spike-wheels will becaused to rotate Vby the chains, and the line of the row thus indicated.The spike-wheels are rotated by the chains, and after the chains are runout by contacting with the ground, so as to rotate the shafts on whichthey are mounted by means of the pawls carried thereby ,engaging theratchet-wheels, and thereby rotate the sprocket wheel and pinion, andthrough them operate the dropping-wheel. As the 0perating-wheel isrotated the radial arms'or pins thereon will be brought against theinner ends of the dropping-levers, so as to vibrate the same, andthrough them reciprocate the seed-slide, so' as to permit the seed toescape from the seed-boxes.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that the operating mechanism isfree of the main frame, so that it can be applied to any corn-planter,and will readily yield to inequalities of the surface of the ground overwhich it is drawn. By providing the rear spike-Wheel and the gearingconnecting the same with one of the front spikewheels the shaft M isrotated easily and positively, so that the proper operation of thedevice is insured. The pawls carried by the spike-wheels are so arrangedthat should one of the spike-wheels strike an obstruction, andconsequently be caused to rotate faster than the other wheels, the pawlswill be sprung .out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel, so

' as to slip'over the saine without interfering with the motion of theparts.

. The length of stroke of the seed-slide can be regulated by causing theends of the connecting-bars Z and b to engage the proper onel of aseries of transverse openings or adjusting them along the slot in thelower end of the oscillating lever, and the machine can be made to plantmoreor less closely by removing the operating-wheel and substituting.one 'with a greater or fewer numbe'r of radial arms or pins.

The marking or starting chains are used to indicate the beginning ofeach row.

The pins upon the operating-Wheel are arranged so as to engage thelever-arms W W alternately, and thuscause the reciprocating motion ofthe seed-slide.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with a shaft, of a ratch` -et-wheel secured rigidlythereon, the spikeends of the same, one of said ratchet-wheels beingprovided with a crown-wheel on its inner face, the spike-wheels looselymounted on the said shaft and carrying a series of pawls engaging theratchet wheels, the shaft Z, mounted in the rear end of the frame lo,the ratchet-wheel secured on said shaft and having a crown-wheel on oneside, the longitudinal shaft provided at its ends with beveled pinionsengaging the crown-wheels, and the spike-wheel on the rear shaft, Z,carrying a series of pawls engaging the ratchet-wheel thereon, as setforth.

3. The combination, with the main frame and theseed-boxes securedthereon, of the cross-bar secured to the seed-boxes, the for-Ywardly-projecting arms secured to the ends of the cross-bar, the bars K,pivoted to the said arms, the shaft M, geared to the seedslide, theframe 7c, extending rearwardly from the shaft M, the operating-gearingcarried by the said shaft and frame, the ,lever 3, fulcrumed on the mainframe and connected to the rear 'end of the frame 7c, the lever 2,fulcrumed on the main frame and having a lower arm provided with across-bar, and the chains extending between said cross-bar and the barsK, as set forth.

et. The combination, with the main frame and the seed-boxes securedthereon, of the shaft M, arranged in rear of the seed-boxes, thesprocket-wheel on said shaft, mechanism for rotating the said shaft, thedivided crossbar, the rearwardly-projecting arms attached to saidcross-bar and adjustably secured to the seed-boxes, the shaft carried bysaid crossbar, the sprocket-pinion on said shaft geared to thesprocket-wheel on the shaft M, the opating-wheel to reciprocate theseed-slide, as

Iset forth.

5. The combination of the divided bar F, the arched bar I, connectingthe members of the same, the seed-slide, the lever a, pivoted IOO at itsupper end on the bar I, the pitman l), connecting said lever with theseed-slide, the angle-levers W, pivoted on the bar F, the rod Y,connecting said lever W, the rod Z, connecting said levers to the levera, the operating-wheel arranged between the ends of the levers lV andadapted to operate the saine, and mechanism for rotating said operating-Wheel, as set forth.

6. The combination, With the corn-planter having the spikedoperating-Wheels, of the chains connected to and Wound upon the saidWheels and having their free ends secured at the starting end of thefield, so as to unwind gradually from the Wheels as the machineprogresses and secure an even start, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT CHARLES. lVitnesses:

J. O. SMITH, T. F. WEAVER.

